Difference between revisions of "Software Speech Synthesizers"

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With some clever programming it is possible to program a software Speech Synthesizer with good results.
 
With some clever programming it is possible to program a software Speech Synthesizer with good results.
  
−
[[Speech]] (Symbos software)
+
* [[Speech]] (Symbos software)
−
[[Speech!]] (Superior Software)
+
* [[Speech!]] (Superior Software) (advert/quiz on ACU 86-09, page 49)
 +
* [[The Speaker]] (Listing from [[CPC Infos]])
 +
 
 +
These programs use pre-recorded allophones, unlike as with the hardware based [[SP0256]] speech synthesizer chip, the allophones aren't computed an the fly. However, the overall result is the same: One can combine allophones to produce any kind of words and sentences, the software solution requires more memory and more CPU load though.
 +
 
 +
Speech! uses about 8K of memory for player and sample data. The samples are stored as packed 4-bit values to send to the AY. To play the speech delay loops are often used to control the frequency at which the AY is updated, and therefore the frequency of the sample. However, when Speech is playing the CPU time is effectively used completely until it is done, unless the player could be modified?
  
 
== Games believed to use Software Speech Synthesizer ==  
 
== Games believed to use Software Speech Synthesizer ==  
  
−
* [[LastV8]] (Software)
+
* [[The Last V8]] (Software)
−
* [[Robocop]] (Software)
+
* [[Le Manoir de Mortevielle]]
 +
* [[Rody et Mastico]]
 +
* [[Rody et Mastico II]]
  
−
'''Note''' - This list is very probably incorrect (Ghostbusters was also listed here, which was incorrect, Ghostbusters contains digitized speech, not synthesizing. Same may apply for LastV8 and Robocop, this isn't verified yet though)
+
'''Note 1''' - This list is very probably incorrect (Ghostbusters and Robocop were also listed here, which was incorrect, both games contain digitized speech, not synthesizing. Same may apply for LastV8, this isn't verified yet though)
 +
 
 +
'''Note 2''' - Does LastV8 contain any speech at all? The version from ftp nvg doesn't seem to have any speech in the intro... though maybe there is speech later in the game (?)
 +
 
 +
'''Note 3''' - LastV8 does contain some (unused) code that uses Port FBEC-FBEE (for unknown purpose, possibly SIO transfers, or for [[PDS development system]]). Maybe somebody incorrectly assumed that this I/O Ports were used to access a hardware based speech synthesizer (which use similar I/O ports), and then, more incorrectly described the game to include a software speech synthesizer (confusing HW and SW).
  
 
== Games using Digitized Speech (Samples) ==
 
== Games using Digitized Speech (Samples) ==
  
−
Digitized sound means a simple sound recordings (similar to modern .wav files). Unlike allophone based speech synthesizers, this method requires a lot of memory, typically allowing to store only a few words.
+
Digitized sound means a simple sound recording (similar to modern WAV files on a PC). Unlike allophone-based speech synthesizers, this method requires a lot of memory, typically allowing only a few words to be stored.
 +
 
 +
Many (although not all) games written by [[The Oliver Twins]] featured digitized speech.
 +
 
 +
* [[3D Starfighter]]
 +
* [[3D Voice Chess]] - speech output for every move via samples
 +
* [[Advanced Pinball Simulator]]
 +
* [[Afteroids]]
 +
* [[Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja]] (only if 128K of RAM is available)
 +
* [[Canadair]]
 +
* [[Championship Jet Ski Simulator]]
 +
* [[Chase HQ]] (only if 128K of RAM is available)
 +
* [[European 5-a-Side]]
 +
* [[Fast Food]]
 +
* [[Fruit Machine Simulator]]
 +
* [[Friday 13th]]
 +
* [[Ghostbusters]] - 1-bit samples (using PSG volume 00h and 0Fh)
 +
* [[Ghost Hunters]]
 +
* [[Grand Prix Simulator]]
 +
* [[Grand Prix Simulator 2]]
 +
* [[I Ball 2: Quest for The Past|I Ball II]]
 +
* [[L'Ile]]
 +
* [[Jailbreak]]
 +
* [[Jet Bike Simulator]]
 +
* [[Killapede]]
 +
* [[Magic Clock]]
 +
* [[Magic Maths (Players)|Magic Maths]] (Players)
 +
* [[Meltdown]] - digitized intro speech
 +
* [[Plumpy]]
 +
* [[Professional Ski Simulator]]
 +
* [[Puffy's Saga]]
 +
* [[Rick Dangerous 128+]]
 +
* [[Robocop]] (only if 128K of RAM is available) - 4-bit samples (using PSG volume 00h through 0Fh)
 +
* [[Shinobi]]
 +
* [[Super Robin Hood]]
 +
* [[Trantor]] - 4bit samples (using PSG volume 00h through 0Fh)
 +
* [[Treasure Island Dizzy]]
  
−
* [[Ghostbusters]] - 1bit samples (using PSG volume 00h and 0Fh)
+
[[Category:Music and sound]]
−
* Trantor - 4bit samples (using PSG volume 00h through 0Fh)
+

Latest revision as of 13:08, 13 January 2019

Software Speech Synthesizers

With some clever programming it is possible to program a software Speech Synthesizer with good results.

These programs use pre-recorded allophones, unlike as with the hardware based SP0256 speech synthesizer chip, the allophones aren't computed an the fly. However, the overall result is the same: One can combine allophones to produce any kind of words and sentences, the software solution requires more memory and more CPU load though.

Speech! uses about 8K of memory for player and sample data. The samples are stored as packed 4-bit values to send to the AY. To play the speech delay loops are often used to control the frequency at which the AY is updated, and therefore the frequency of the sample. However, when Speech is playing the CPU time is effectively used completely until it is done, unless the player could be modified?

Games believed to use Software Speech Synthesizer

Note 1 - This list is very probably incorrect (Ghostbusters and Robocop were also listed here, which was incorrect, both games contain digitized speech, not synthesizing. Same may apply for LastV8, this isn't verified yet though)

Note 2 - Does LastV8 contain any speech at all? The version from ftp nvg doesn't seem to have any speech in the intro... though maybe there is speech later in the game (?)

Note 3 - LastV8 does contain some (unused) code that uses Port FBEC-FBEE (for unknown purpose, possibly SIO transfers, or for PDS development system). Maybe somebody incorrectly assumed that this I/O Ports were used to access a hardware based speech synthesizer (which use similar I/O ports), and then, more incorrectly described the game to include a software speech synthesizer (confusing HW and SW).

Games using Digitized Speech (Samples)

Digitized sound means a simple sound recording (similar to modern WAV files on a PC). Unlike allophone-based speech synthesizers, this method requires a lot of memory, typically allowing only a few words to be stored.

Many (although not all) games written by The Oliver Twins featured digitized speech.

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